Tech

How Anyone Could Secretly Track Your Smartphone

Advertisers and government agencies may soon be able to track you online by identifying your smartphone using its accelerometer — the device that tells apps which way you're pointing your phone — according to researchers at Stanford University and the Israel Institute of Technology.

No two phones roll off production lines exactly alike, Hristo Bojinov, one of the Stanford researchers, told Mashable. Tiny "defects" in accelerometers are unique to each phone, which allows them to be identified.

"This could provide a way for mobile devices to get identified as they browse the Internet, without reliance on cookies," Bojinov said. "We can think of some uses for individuals, but the majority of scenarios would be in the device identification and tracking category."

Website visitors won't know they've been identified, because most browsers make the accelerometer data available to the webpage code without telling the visitor. There wouldn't be much the user could do about it, because there are no cookies to delete or privacy settings to change.

But the method has yet to be perfected. For now, Bojinov and company have built a basic site that collects the data, but you have to set your phone flat on a table and flip it after some time has elapsed before the site can collect information.

Only that site is able to grab the data, though Bojinov believes that a similar data-mining script could be written and inserted onto any site. They're also finalizing an identification method that could gather similar accelerometer data while your phone bounces in your pocket or purse.

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Mashable
is a leading source for news, information and resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's record 42 million unique visitors worldwide and 21 million social media followers are one of the most influential and engaged online communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.